A few days ago, the NHL announced its return to play agreement. The plan includes a 56-game schedule that would start up on January 13th. The Stanley Cup Playoffs would begin on May 11th, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs would go all the way into mid-July.

This upcoming NHL season is unique for the New York Islanders. For starters, the organization finds itself in a spot it hasn’t been in for over 27 years, entering the season with a trip to the Conference Finals the previous season. In that sense, the Islanders will be getting every team’s best performance night in and night out.

Because of COVID-19, the NHL has reshaped its divisions. The division that the Islanders now reside in is a powerhouse. The Eastern Division includes the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabers, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and the New York Islanders. It is arguably the toughest division in the NHL. Another aspect of this season that will be different is that all of the Islanders’ opponents this season will be from this division—no other teams. It is a challenge the Islanders will have to live up to; otherwise, it will be a disappointing season.

The Boston Bruins have an aging core and likely will be on the downtrend relatively soon; however, they are, at the moment, real Stanely Cup contenders. The Buffalo Sabres are looking up with the acquisition of Taylor Hall, but are unlikely to make the playoffs. New Jersey’s future looks somewhat promising, but they have a long way to go to be a threat in the East. The New York Rangers have accelerated their rebuild faster than anyone imagined and have an impressive prospect pool. They might not be a major threat in the East yet, but they soon will be. Philadelphia is a real threat in the East. They have a strong core, good young players that will help them continue to be successful in the future, and have one of the best goaltenders in the NHL in Carter Hart in the crease. The Pittsburgh Penguins are not what they used to be, and their window is slowly closing. The Washington Capitals have a declining core but are still contenders to win the Cup.

So where does that leave the Islanders? The Islanders have a strong core with a talented prospect pool that is headed by their new backup goaltender in Ilya Sorokin. They have proven they can compete and beat the top teams in the league. And after last season’s playoff run, the Islanders have proven they are one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams. They are Stanley Cup contenders.

The Islanders are in a unique position, the team has proven they are right there with the top of the contenders. And, as some of these contenders begin to decline as they have aging cores, the Islanders are in the perfect position to establish themself as a yearly favorite.

However, how does the rest of the NHL view the Islanders?

In terms of power rankings for the upcoming season, NBC Sports ranks the Islanders 15th, Bleacher Report ranks the Islanders 17th, The Score ranks the Islanders 11th, and ESPN ranks the Islanders 6th.

Based on these projected power rankings, it can be inferred that the Islanders are viewed as an average team with a puncher’s chance.

A big reason why the Islanders are not viewed higher on these power rankings is the losses sustained to their blueline this offseason. The Islanders lost an offensive-minded defenseman in Devon Toews, and a veteran leader on and off the ice in Johnny Boychuk due to retirement.

While the loss of Toews and Boychuk on the blueline hurts the Islanders, the Islanders’ success will depend on if their core can produce somewhat similar numbers as they did last season and, most importantly, if the integration of prospects into the lineup can produce for the Islanders.

The Islanders’ backend is strong if their offensive end can punch over their weight. The Islanders may be another contender again this season.

Ethan Halle

Ethan is an Economics Major at the University of Florida looking to pursue a double major in Sports Management with a minor in political science.